Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[MIPS]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

There are several RTM's that can operate at or above grade. It just 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 🞵🞵🞵 during snowy and icy conditions, which I'm sure with some engineering, they can easily deice it.

I seem to recall the major traction issues with AGT in cold climates was part of the reason why the ICTS program was initiated.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Chikinlittle

I have a bit of envy of this project, simply because it seemed to come out of nowhere and progressed to this point (and will be in operation relatively) so quickly compared to what has been planned and been sitting stalled in Metro Vancouver for such a long time.

Let's get on with building Broadway (to UBC, and Surrey/Langley) already!

Ah, the advantages of having the province working WITH Montreal instead of against it...

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Ah, the advantages of having the province working WITH Montreal instead of against it...

Seems to be more than just that, there is also not several different communities bickering with each other for years as well. Not to mention continuously flip flopping on technologies and voicing endless 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 concerns.

Even if our region had all of our governments in sync, things still seem to be incredibly slow here. If Vancouver this project in Montreal would have had several more rounds of public consultation events dragging the process out far too long.

The Broadway Subway is the perfect example, it has been discussed and planned for years now, the supposed magic bullet NDP have been in power since early last summer now, and even still the earliest construction we will see is 2019? With an opening in 2025????

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Seems to be more than just that, there is also not several different communities bickering with each other for years as well. Not to mention continuously flip flopping on technologies and voicing endless 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 concerns.

Oh yeah, that too.

Originally Posted by Metro-One

The Broadway Subway is the perfect example, it has been discussed and planned for years now, the supposed magic bullet NDP have been in power since early last summer now, and even still the earliest construction we will see is 2019? With an opening in 2025????

Link please? Genuinely curious.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Oh yeah, that too.



Link please? Genuinely curious.

At work right now, will fish a link out after I get home.

I have seen those dates mentioned a few times now. Surprised me how slow it is.

[SpongeG]

TransLink reveals record 407 million riders in 2017

West Coast Express is only part of system with declining traffic

By Glen Korstrom | February 8, 2018, 11:03am

Metro Vancouver’s transit operator TransLink announced February 8 that it had a record 406,840,000 riders in 2017 thanks largely to a 12% jump in riders on the Expo and Millennium SkyTrain lines.

Ridership in 2017 was almost 5.9% more than the 384.3 million riders in 2016 – a number that was also described as a record at the time. That ridership in 2016 was up about 4.5% from the 362.92 riders in 2015.

2017 was the first full year for which the Evergreen line, also referred to as the Millennium line extension, was in operation and that line's traffic was undoubtedly the driver in spurring more traffic on the Millennium and Expo lines.

...

https://biv.com/article/2018/02/translink-reveals-record-407-million-riders-2017

[logicbomb]

It would be interesting to see how much of this ridership increase is due to the flood of visa workers and international students.

[idunno]

^^?? As the article states, it's most likely related to the Evergreen Line opening. And the decrease in WCE traffic could also be related to the Evergreen Line.

Unless it isn't?

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

It would be interesting to see how much of this ridership increase is due to the flood of visa workers and international students.

Citation needed.

[s211]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Seems to be more than just that, there is also not several different communities bickering with each other for years as well. Not to mention continuously flip flopping on technologies and voicing endless 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 concerns.

Even if our region had all of our governments in sync, things still seem to be incredibly slow here. If Vancouver this project in Montreal would have had several more rounds of public consultation events dragging the process out far too long.

The Broadway Subway is the perfect example, it has been discussed and planned for years now, the supposed magic bullet NDP have been in power since early last summer now, and even still the earliest construction we will see is 2019? With an opening in 2025????

Vancouver's not alone when it comes to delays. Let's talk about the Second Avenue Subway in NYC:

"The Second Avenue Subway, a New York City Subway line that runs under Second Avenue on the East Side of Manhattan, has been proposed since 1919. The first phase of the line, consisting of three stations on the Upper East Side, started construction in 2007 and opened in 2017. From 1919 to the 1960s, many distinct plans for the Second Avenue subway line were never carried out, though small segments were built in the 1970s. The complex reasons for these delays are why the line is sometimes called "the line that time forgot"."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Second_Avenue_Subway

[ClaytonA]

Originally Posted by Chikinlittle

I have a bit of envy of this project, simply because it seemed to come out of nowhere and progressed to this point (and will be in operation relatively) so quickly compared to what has been planned and been sitting stalled in Metro Vancouver for such a long time.

Let's get on with building Broadway (to UBC, and Surrey/Langley) already!

Definitely not nowhere; Montreal had plans to set up a regional transit authority prior to Expo 67 apparently that essentially included much of this plan (minus technological advances, and West Island). It was also resurrected in the 1980's. In Montreal they managed commuter rail given the railway alignments there in the meantime. Someone did a recap on CPTDB last year(?). Also the first stage/operation can happen in 2 years since it's already rail (lot's of infrastructure already built).

Similarly Broadway was the original second phase of the Millenium Line planned to be under construction 2004-ish in the late 1990s/2000 until Evergreen became phase 2 - Broadway was pushed to the longer term. Then it lost its priority (2nd place after Evergreen?) during the 2010 Olympics building just as REM lost priority for Expo 67. Pretty much all the Canadian cities have lots of these transit projects in some stage of planning.

It all comes down to citizens/voters/taxpayers willingness to pay monetarily versus in lost time. Examples like Toronto temper my expectations. We all get what we're willing to pay for. It can get much worse before it gets better here.

[ClaytonA]

6.3% is a very strong increase on the Canada Line as well. Likely due to the development boom and population/jobs increases in Richmond and along Cambie.

Bus boardings were also up strongly. Gas prices have recovered too.

[Colin4567]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

It would be interesting to see how much of this ridership increase is due to the flood of visa workers and international students.

LMAO, going to SFU I can honestly tell you international students really don't take the bus. Most of them drive with an incredibly expensive car.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Oh yeah, that too.



Link please? Genuinely curious.

If these business cases are accepted and funding from all three levels of government is confirmed in 2017, construction could begin as early as 2019. Construction is expected to take five to six years

Right from Translink's website.

So, it is 2018 now, making us behind their 2017 target for having all funding in place (guess they also expected swifter action after the provincial election??) and even then it said "could" begin as early as 2019... with 5 to 6 years of contruction... for 6 KM...

If it was the entire line out to UBC, I could understand.

Link: https://www.translink.ca/Plans-and-Projects/Rapid-Transit-Projects/Broadway-SkyTrain-Extension.aspx

[Reecemartin]

In terms of Montreal, a big reason this is happening so quickly is that

a) It is the interest of the investors at the Quebec Pension Fund (they also hold a stake in the Canada Line the success of which inspired this)
b) Its the primary project being pushed, there aren't as many conflicting views and consensus was built
c) Alot of the infrastructure hinges on modifying the existing Deux Montagnes Line and Mount Royal Tunnel which is all already there.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

anyone who use the Evergreen Line know if they still have the Evergreen branding? or has that slowly been disappearing? i never head out that way and i am curious.

[dpogue]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

anyone who use the Evergreen Line know if they still have the Evergreen branding? or has that slowly been disappearing? i never head out that way and i am curious.

Within the Evergreen stations, it says "Evergreen extension" on the signs and maps, but elsewhere it's just referred to as the Millennium Line.
The maps inside the trains still have the green outline and the extension name.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

So, it is 2018 now, making us behind their 2017 target for having all funding in place (guess they also expected swifter action after the provincial election??) and even then it said "could" begin as early as 2019... with 5 to 6 years of contruction... for 6 KM...

If it was the entire line out to UBC, I could understand.

Thanks. In TransLink's defence, the referendum did push the schedule back a couple of years.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Thanks. In TransLink's defence, the referendum did push the schedule back a couple of years.

This timeline was created last year, so it wasn’t affected by the referendum.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by dpogue

Within the Evergreen stations, it says "Evergreen extension" on the signs and maps, but elsewhere it's just referred to as the Millennium Line.
The maps inside the trains still have the green outline and the extension name.

ahh okay, so same as before it seems like. i was wondering if they'd start slowly removing the Evergreen name from some train maps over time.

thanks